Louise Kirby was doing her usual weekly shop in Sainsbury's lwhen she was confronted by 12 vegan activists

Louise’s daughter Sophie, nine, was so frightened by them she suddenly declared she was vegetarian and her mum claims she was scared by the gang.

Mum-of-four Louise, 38, said: "It was really surreal. I had my head in the shelves and told her about some of the bargains they had when she suddenly said 'I’m vegetarian, I don’t eat anything here’. I laughed and said ‘'don’t be silly, since when?’.

"I looked up and at that point I felt the atmosphere change – you could cut it with a knife – it was really scary."

Louise said members of Bolton Chicken Save stared at her while holding placards with animals and slogans plastered across them.

Office manager Louise added: "I’m a carnivore, that’s my choice, if my children wanted to be vegetarian I would support them as it’s their choice.

“But it’s wrong for people to try and force beliefs on to me and my children."